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It's Fun to Play the Piano ... Please Pass It On!

At two local dealers, I tried the Kawai CN23 and CN33, CA65 and the Yamaha Clavinova, NU1 and N1.

The Kawai CN23 and 33 are unimpressive. Checking the specs, I found out they have only 2 12cm (CN23)/16cm (CN33) speakers, hence the poor definition in the high notes. I am aware that there are new models coming up; I suppose the dealer wants to get rid of them before ordering the newer models.

The Yamaha NU1 has a good sound but I want a grand feel action, so it is a no-no, no matter how pretty the cabinet looks.

The best instruments were the Kawai CA65 (4 speakers incl. 2 tweeters) and Yamaha N1, but both are over $5K, which is well outside my budget. The Clavinovas are overpriced, packed with cheesy oom-pa-pah rythms and do not sound half as good.

The thing is, manufacturers seem to pack in options that only beginners need, and seem to forget that there are also non-beginners who are simply looking for a good sound/touch at an affordable price:

Number of sounds: just give me a decent PIANO, that's all I need. A decent harpsichord sound for Bach may be nice, but that's it. And forget the dual sound with the strings on top, it is cheesy and ugly. Why should I pay for that if I will NEVER use it?

Lesson function: No thanks!

"Concert magic": Are you kidding? What a ridiculous feature.

Dual split: No thanks!

Pre-recorded "songs": No, I play the piano myself - I don't want to listen to my piano playing automatically. And please, most of the pieces in there are not "songs", so stop referring to them as such in the user's manuals!

So I am sitting on my money for now, hoping for better models to pop up.

I was toying with the idea of buying something really cheap like a Casio PX850 and hooking it to two Rokit speakers to blast the sound. Anyone tried this? Unfortunately no one carries Casios in my town, so I won't order an instrument I can't feel before.

I know this is not very responsive to the main theme of your post, but it is something that jumped out at me and I can't help myself.

I never thought I would see the day when someone is unable to gain access to a CASIO digital piano. I thought they were everywhere ... on every street corner ... in every mall ... department store ... drug store ... you name it store ...

And ... if you do not like the PX-150 .... return it and go for the PX-350.

Personally, I would go for the PX-350 in step one and save a step.

That's actually what I did. But I expect to have use for the 240 (or so) voices in the PX-350 that aren't in the PX-150. And it's neat to practice scales against a jazz drummer, rather than a "DING ding ding ding" metronome.

If you just want to "play piano" or "learn piano", the PX-150 has the same keyboard, and some of the same "Grand Piano" (and other) voices.

I can't believe the difference between what you paid and what the cost is for the same instrument in Montreal, Canada.

Did you get any special price?

For me, the retailer where I was quoted that price for the CA65($5 400) is the only game in town as for Kawais, so I'll see if I could get the same from another retailer out of town and have it delivered.

I can't believe the difference between what you paid and what the cost is for the same instrument in Montreal, Canada.

Did you get any special price?

For me, the retailer where I was quoted that price for the CA65($5 400) is the only game in town as for Kawais, so I'll see if I could get the same from another retailer out of town and have it delivered.

I'm pretty sure that's the list price. That's never the real price. Kawai MSRP is especially over-inflated in Canada compared to the US. For $5,000 you could surely get the top end model.

I think the list price for the Kawai CA65 is approx $4500 USD. From what I understand most dealers sell them for approximate 20-25% off the list price. The normal price when I bought mine was approx $3200 and it was on sale the month of Jan for $2850. I can't say enough good about it. It does have alot of bells and whistles but it serves as a great digital piano, which is the mode that I have been playing it on. I would recommend atleast trying one out. The touch and feel is amazing. I was sold on a Yamaha before I visited the Kawai retailer. Much more bang for your buck.